Brush assembly



w. c. VAN CLIEF, JR., ET-AL 2,737,673

March 13, 1956 BRUSH ASSEMBLY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 25, 1952 5,l'l'lIlllIILl mm FIGJO FIG. l3

FIG.9

relativeimportance.

United States Patent This invention relates to a brush involving abristle ortion comprising a bristle body detachablysecured in a socket,or ferrule upon a handle, and it has particular relation to a brush ofthe foregoing type adapted for application of paints and similar coatingmaterials to surfaces.

An object of the invention is to provide a simple inexpensive'brushstrip which can be detachably secured in a socket upon a'handle toprovide a brush.

A second object is to provide a brushbristle stripstructure of theforegoing type, a plurality of units of which are adapted to provide ahighly efficient brush.

A third object is to provide a simple and efficient-socket structure forsecuring brush strips to a handle.

A fourth object is to provide a simple and efficient clamping structurefor securing the' brush strip in a socket.

These and other objects will' be apparent from consid'er'ation or thefollowing specification and drawings. It is to be understood that noparticular effort has been made to'orrelate the numbers of the objectwith their It will further be understood that an of the foregoingobjects need not necessarily be attained simultaneously.

For a better understanding of the invention reference may now be made tothe accompanying drawings which like numerals refer to like partsthroughout and in which:

Fig. 1 is a view partially in elevation and par'tiallyih section of abrush embodying the principles of the invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken substantially upon the'line- II'II ofFigure 1.

Figure 3 is asectional view taken substantially upon the li'ne 'II I-IIIof- Figure 2 with the' bristles omitted:

Fig'ure;4 is an end elevational view of abristlesocket such as is-shownin Figures l and 2. p

. Figure 5 is a side elevatiorial view of a screw device employed forsecuring a bristle socket to a-- handle -in-the i for use i-n'the"practice of the invention. 'It isto be understood that in this figure noparticular effort has been made 'to maintain correct relativeproportions between thethicknessand the length of the bristle.

Figure 9 is side elevational view of asecond brush 1 structure embodyingthe invention.

Figure vl0 is-a'view partially in elevation and partially insectionas-taken' from the side of the structure shown in Figure 9.

Figure 11 is a sectional view taken substantially :upon the line XI--=X1of Figure withthebristles'omitted.

Figure 1-2'is-a sectional view taken substantially at the rnidsection ofa bristle strip as employed in practice of the invention.

plastic, or the like of-the handle or in thimble side walls 32. Bristles33 for use in the sections be of uniform diameter at all Epreferably,

2,737,678 Patented Mar. 13, 1956 Figure 13 is an end elevational view ofthe bristle strip shown in section in Figure 12.

A conventional brush structure comprises a handle element having aflared head and a bristle body secured thereto, usually by a band ofmetal known as a ferrule which is wrapped about the head of the handleand the brush bristle body in such manner as to provide a socket fortliebristle. Usually the ferrule is secured to the han die by means of nailsand conventionally, the bristles are secured in'the socket by a matrixof plastic such as rubber or the like.

The manufacture of such brush requires a great'm'any hand operations byskilled workmen and also considerable amounts of relatively expensivematerials are required. The mass of bristles in the brushes isrelatively thick and'difiicult if not impossible adequately to clean;The brusheswhen worn out, or when they become fouled by accumulation ofdried paints, cannot readily be' restored to working: condition andtherefore, must be discarded in their entirety, at considerable expense.

This invention comprises, as one feature, the formation of brush bristlebody of a plurality of relatively thin bristle strips which are formedsimply of narrow, but appropriately shaped, channels in each of whichthe bight's ofdouble-ended bristles are looped about a core runninglongitudinally of the channel and the bristles are locked in position inthe channel by crimpingror inwardly bending the side walls of thechannels. The use ofma bonding agent for securing the bristles insuchchannels is notrequired; These bristle strips can, if desired; bevery cheaply formed by mechanicalmeans; even as-a continuous band or barwhich is subsequently cut into sections of appropriate length. k

The invention further includes an inexpensive socket constructiondesigned releasably to clamp the particular bristlesections so that theycan be removed for cleaning, or when they are no longer serviceable,they can be readily and inexpensively replaced by new sections ordisposing the tips of the bristles so that the tips of one section arepressed against the tips of a second section whereby, in effect, to forma unitary bl'LlSh bristle body.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figures l -through 7inclusive, a detachable handle 20, of wood, is provided at its upperend' constituting a brush holding portion with an internally threadedportion, which, optionally may be formed in the material I 21 embeddedin the handle. The other end of the handle constitutes a grippingportion. A cup-like socket or ferrule 22 is disposed upon thehandle andincludes a web-like bottom 23 having a central opening 23A for asecuring device (to be described later) and being provided withoutwardly bowed sidewalls 24 and 25, as well as end walls 26 and 27.Preferably, the socket is formed from metal such as iron or aluminum bya' simple stamping operation upon 'a blank from a sheet of reasonablyheavy gage. This opfe'ration'can be performed mechanically and veryinxdrawin s, are formed of channel sections or segment's 2 9,

'also'ofmetal, e. g. aluminum, or other suitable material. They includewebs30, having inside walls 31 and outer may points in their length; butthey are tapered. Also, they preferably are double ended and in thechannels are bent approximately to. U shapeas indicated in-Figure 8.They include big'ht portions B, which are looped about filamentary coresor rods 34 so that the tip portions project upwardly to provide thebrush bristle structure. These bristles may conveniently be formed of asynthetic plastic such as cellulose acetate, nylon, or the like, byextruding a solution, or a melt of the plastic through spinneretopenings. The tapering efiects may be obtained by application ofregularly pulsating pressures in the spinning operation, or by varyingthe speed of the take-up rollers as the filaments are spun. Longfilaments of varying diameter, thus spun out may be cut through theconstricted portions to provide the double-ended bristles, which, inuse,

are doubled about core 34 so that each, in effect, provides a pair ofbristles. The spinning of such bristles and the subsequent formation ofbristle strips therefrom, within itself, does not constitute a featureof this invention except insofar as they are combined with certain otherfeatures herein disclosed. Elaboration upon the techniques of spinningthe bristles and forming the brush strips, accordingly, is not deemed tobe necessary.

It is sufficient to state, as previously intimated, that the strips areusually formed on a machine as a long, even substantially continuousstrip from a roll or ribbon of metal which is shaped to form a channelto receive the bristles and their retaining core. The channel and coreare then cut into sections of proper length for a brush. To preventlongitudinal displacement or loss of the bristles, the ends of the sidewalls may further be crimped inwardly as indicated at C in Fig. 12 untilthe corners meet or nearly meet. The crimping may be done prior to,simultaneously with, or subsequent to the cutting operation.

The bristles may also be secured in the channels by cohering them. Amost convenient method of attaining this result involves performing thecutting operation upon the channel by means of a friction disc orcutter, the peripheral speed of which is adjusted to produce a largeamount of frictional heat. This speed, naturally will vary with thecutting characteristics of the disc, the degree of ventilation in thecutting Zone, the degree of hardness of the metal etc. Best speed isdetermined experimentally for each set of conditions. The frictionalheat may be relied upon to partially fuse the bight portions of bristlescontiguous to the cutting zone, thus cohering the bights at such pointsinto a solid mass, whereby to assure their retention in the channel.Enough heat is generated to fuse the bights of the bristles withoutcharring them. The metal of the channel at the cut may even besufliciently heated to produce a weld between the sides of the channelsacross the ends. However the temperature is attained for such short timethat no substantial damage is done to the bristles contiguous thechannel.

During or subsequent to the cutting and crimping operations, the channelsections may also be slightly bent, for example as by transversepressure at their mid points. The bend may be continuous as shown, fromend to end, or it may be upon a relatively short radius at and near themid point, with the portions beyond, remaining nearly straight.Preferably enough bend is imparted as almost to bring the ends of thechannels together when the brush is assembled.

As will be observed in Figure 2 of the drawings the side walls 24 and 25of the socket 22 are substantially inwardly inclined with respect toeach other to impart to the socket a trapezoidal section. It will alsobe observed that the outer side walls 32 of the bristle strips arecorrespondingly inwardly inclined so that when the strips are correctlypositioned, the angles of the side walls of the socket and of thechannels substantially coincide. The inner side walls 31 of thechannels, preferably, are most nearly vertically disposed when thechannels are seated in the socket. It will be understood from thedrawings .that before the channels are inserted in the socket, outeredge portions of the channels, at the mid-portions are slightly lowerthan the corresponding edge portions at the tips. As shown in Fig. 12,an apex P constituting a fulcrum is thus provided and the channels aretipped slightly inwardly thereabout, so that the tip portions of thebristles of a strip or section, along the inner face, are pressedagainst the corresponding bristles of the contiguous section. Since theinner edges of the channels are also rounded as indicated at R, it willbe evident that even further tipping effects can sometimes be attainedby rocking the channels on their rounded edges by the clamping screw tobe described below.

For purposes of securing the channels of the strips in the sockets inproper position, a screw device such as 35 is provided. This device mayconveniently be stamped or cut from a small square of sheet metalhaving, for example, the shape illustrated in Figure 5. The broken linesindicate portions that have been sheared away from the original blank.The device includes a stem portion 36 extending through opening 23A insocket 22, and a head portion 37 that gives the device a T shape.Normally, the thickness of the sheet metal from which the screw deviceis stamped can be less than the diameter of the sleeve 21, as is clearlyshown in Figure 2 of the drawings. This facilitates shearing out andshaping the device. The edge portions of the stem are provided withserrations 38 which are formed to function as threads in combinationwith the threads of the sleeve or thimble 21. Preferably, the upper edgeof the head portion 37 is laterally indented to provide the sinuations39 shown in Figure 3. The lower edge of the head portion 37 need not besinuated. An over-all wedge effect is thus imparted to the head, eventhough the latter is formed from sheet material of uniform thickness.When stem 36 is inserted in opening 23A of socket 22 and is threadedinto the sleeve 21, the head portion 37 is drawn down between thechannels of the strip elements, thus first forcing them into engagementwith the side walls 24 and 25 of the socket. In the device shown inFigures 2 and 6, in order to insure that the inner edges of the channelsare held down in such manner as to effect a tilting action to bring thetip portions of the bristles together between the respective sections,notches may be formed in the peaks of the sinuations 39, slightly belowthe upper edge of the head element 37. Slight ledges, as indicated at 41are thus formed and are adapted to hook over the upper edges of theinner sides of the channels, when stem 37 is screwed into thimble 31,whereby positively to clamp the inner edges of the channels down whenthe screw device 35 is tightened. The channels rock inwardly first uponthe apexes P, and then, if the side walls 32 are not firmly in contactwith the side walls of socket 22, they may tilt even further on roundededges R, to press the tip portions of the bristles of one section towardthose of the other.

, Often the ledges 41 are not required to secure adequate inward tiltingof the channels if the socket and the channels are well formed. A devicefree of such ledges is shown in Figs. 3 and 7. The wedging effect of theT head 37 may force the outer edges under side walls 2425 of the socketsufficiently to produce adequate tilting. Naturally, the more sharplythe inclination of the side walls 24-25 with respect to channel walls32, the greater will be the degree of tilt. Usually the angle of thewalls 24-25 of the socket with respect to the vertical will be greaterthan will be the corresponding angle of side walls 32 of the channels.In Figures 3 and 7, the screw device is shown as being devoid of ledges41. The numbers in this embodiment of screw device are distinguishedfrom Figure 6 by the subscript A.

In some instances it may also be desirable to provide the web portion 23with a slight downward convexity in its cross section. Such sectionassists in tilting the bristle strip sections inwardly.

answers In view of the bow in thechan nels", itwill Its-apparcut thatthe tip portions swing slightly downward when the channels are inwardlytipped with peak P as a fulcrum. The downward bending of the ends of theportion 23 of the socket 22 and is threaded into the screw threadedportion or thimble 21 of the handle '20 a short distance. The channelsof the bristle strips may then be inserted in the socket 22, on eachside of the head 37 or 37A of the screw device and the bristle stripsmay be manually pressed'toward each other. V is then turned on the stem36 or 36A of'the screw in order to tighten up the head. In the formshown in Figures 2 and 7, the ledges or hook portions 41 engage over theupper edges of the channels 31 as shown in Fig. 2. The channels are thussecurely wedged apart so that the outer walls 32 thereof contact thewalls I of the socket. At the same time, if screw device 35 has ledges41 they press downwardly, so that thechannels are locked at their inneredges. In any eventthe channels are tipped inwardly slightly in order toinsure that the inner bristles of one bristle section are pressed attheir tip portions against the corresponding tip portions of the otherbristle section.

The construction as shown in Figures 9 and 10 is quite similar to thatshown and described in connection with Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and12 except that a somewhat modified form of screw device is employed forlocking the channels of the brush bristle strips in the socket and forholding the socket on the handle. In the modified construction, thehandle indicated at may be substantially similar to that shown in Figure1 and may include an internally threaded sleeve or thimble 51 into whichis threaded a headless stud screw or bolt 52 extended through opening 53in the bottom of a socket 54. Bolt 52 has a nut 55, threaded upon theupper end thereof and functioning as a head for locking the channels 56of the brush bristle strips in the socket 54. Nut 55 may have verticalsides, or the sides may be beveled to fit the sides of the brush bristlestrips. The extremities of the socket 54 and channels 56 are bentdownwardly in the manner described in connection with the precedingembodiment of the invention. The socket also has upwardly convergingsidewalls 57 and 58. The brush bristle strips comprising channels 56 arepreferably bowed inwardly at their ends in the manner above describedand the bristles in the channels are also of the double-ended typealready described and are locked in the channels by the cores 63.

In the assembly of this construction, the screw 52 preferably is startedin the sleeve 51, the socket 54 is disposed upon the screw and the nut55 is started upon the upper extremity of thescrew. The channels 56 ofthe brush bristle strips may be disposed in the socket upon oppositesides of the nut 55 after which the handle 50 is rotated to tighten upthe screw and to draw the nut 53 down between the channels. If the nuthas vertical sides, it will be observed that at its lower corners, itcontacts the channels slightly to bite into the latter. This actionassists in drawing the inner edges of the channels downwardly thusinsuring that the channels are properly seated in the socket 59 and thatthe bristles along the inner faces of the bristle strips, are pressedagainst each other to provide a unitary brush body in which there is nospace between the two sections of bristles at the tips thereof. If thenut has sloping Thehandle 3 6 sides, a wed'gi-ng effect is producedwhich usually is sufiic ient to secure the bristle strip channels indesired position.

It will be observed thatlin event that it is desired to remove thebristle strips from either of the previously described constructions,the handles are merely rotated upon the "screw devices until suflicientspace is afforded between the nut 55 or the head 37 and the sidewalls ofthe socket element, to permit the withdrawal of the channels of thebristle strips. These individual strips may thenbe washed, the Washingoperation being considerably 'fa'cilitate'd because each strip is onlyhalf the thickness of the assembled brush. If for any reason it isdesired to'replace the bristle strips, new strips can be substitutedthus restoring the brush substantially to its original usefulness. Thebristle strips are relatively inexpensive to obtain since they can bemanufactured substantially without application of manual labor.

The forms of the invention herein described are to be considered asbeing by way of illustration. It will be apparent to those skilled inthe art that numerous modifications may be made therein withoutdeparture from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appendedclaims.

We claim:

l. A brush bristle strip comprising a channel having side walls joinedby a web and double-ended U-shaped bristles having their bights disposedabout a filamentary core-hr the channel, the side walls being inwardlycrimped tose'cure the bristles in the channel, the mid-portion of thechannel being laterally bent, the portion of the web contiguous to theend of the channel being substantially lower on the convex side than onthe concave side, whereby to provide a fulcrum for tipping the channel.

2. A brush assembly comprising a pair of mating channels having bristlessecured therein and being disposed in a socket having side walls and anintermediate web interconnecting the side walls, means of securing thesocket to the handle comprising a screw element extending through theweb or" the socket and into the contiguous end of the handle, a headmember upon the screw element having overhanging portions adapted tohook over the edges of the inner walls of the channels to clamp the websthereof against the web portion of the socket and to tip the channelstoward each other.

3. A brush assembly comprising a socket member secured upon the upperend of a handle, said socket member being transversely elongated andhaving the extremities thereof downwardly bent, a pair of brush bristlestrips comprising channels laterally bent and having the concave sidesthereof facing each other whereby the tip portions are in contiguitywith respect to each other and a screw element threaded into the socketand having portions engaging the top edges of the side walls of thechannels whereby to keep the channels inclined slightly toward eachother in the socket.

4. A brush assembly comprising a handle having a socket for bristles,bristle strips comprising a pair of curved channel sections disposedwith their concave sides facing each other and each having a pair ofside walls joined by intermediate webs, bristles secured in the channelsections and means associated with the socket and the channel sectionsfor maintaining the channel sections in mutually inwardly inclinedposition with respect to each other, whereby the tips of the bristlesupon the inner side of a bristle strip are pressed against the tips ofthe bristles on the inner side of the contiguous strip to 'form acontinuous brushing surface.

5. A brush comprising a handle having a brush holding end and a grippingend, an elongated socket of sheet metal secured upon the first mentionedend and being shaped to provide inwardly inclined side walls and aninterconnecting web, said side walls being convexly outwardly bowed attheir mid portions, a pair of spaced channel sections disposed in thesocket and having their sides convergent away from the web and beingoutwardly bowed to correspond to the outward bowing of the side walls ofthe socket, the tips of the socket being bent toward the secondmentioned end of the handle, the channel sections being tipped towardeach other and the tip portions of the bristles on the inner side of onechannel section being pressed against the corresponding portions of thebristles on the inner side of the other channel section and meanslocking the channel sections in position in the socket.

6. A brush bristle strip as defined in claim 5 in which the bristles areformed of a thermoplastic plastic material and the butt portions of thebristles, at the tips of the channels, are fused together as a coherentmass securing the bristles against longitudinal displacement in thechannel.

7. A brush comprising a handle having a brush end and a gripping end, anelongated socket of sheet metal disposed transversely upon the firstmentioned end and being shaped to provide inwardly inclined side wallsand an interconnecting web, a pair of spaced channel sections disposedin the socket and having side walls inclined toward each other, but awayfrom the web, bristles having their butt portions locked in thechannels, and screw means for securing the socket to the handle,comprising a T-shaped element of sheet metal, the stern of the Tconstituting the stem of the screw, the cross of the T being ofsubstantially uniform thickness and the upper edge thereof beingsinuously laterally bent to impart a wedge shape to the cross andadapting said device for wedging the channel sections against the sidewalls of the socket in inwardly inclined position and the stem extendingthrough the web and being threaded into the handle to secure the handleand socket together.

8. A brush comprising a handle having a brush end and a gripping end, anelongated socket of sheet metal secured transversely upon the firstmentioned end of the handle and being shaped to provide inwardlyinclined side Walls and an interconnecting web, said side walls beingconvexly outwardly bowed, a pair of spaced channel sections disposed inthe socket and having their sides convergent away from the web and beingoutwardly bowed to correspond to the outward bowing of the side walls ofthe socket, the ends of the socket being bent backwardly toward thegripping end of the handle and a screw comprising a wedge-like headportion wedging the sections against the side walls of the sockets ininwardly inclined position with the tips thereof drooped toward thesecond mentioned end of the handle, the stern of said screw meansextending through the web and being threaded into the first mentionedend of the handle to secure the handle and socket together.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,144,309 Noppe et al. June 22, 1915 1,649,490 Schalle Nov. 15, 19272,326,879 Neuhausen Aug. 17, 1943 2,367,650 Rowland Jan. 16, 19452,438,156 Dodge Mar. 23, 1948 2,605,490 Dolan Aug. 5, 1952

